*SHINGLE MILL:* The Shingle Mill project has been a high priority area for years and has had interest and buy-in from many agencies due largely to being part of the Monticello City municipal watershed, being a key winter and transitional wildlife range, its proximity to WUI and communities at risk, and ongoing soil erosion and increasingly homogenous vegetation. This project addresses the health, productivity, and resiliency of soil and vegetation resources in the South Creek, Bull Hollow, and Verdure watersheds near Monticello. Pinyon-juniper encroachment results in increased soil erosion. By removing pinyon-juniper and deciduous shrubs and creating mosaics of diverse age classes and structure, as well as establishing grasses and forbs, water will more readily infiltrate the soil and remain in the system. Dense tracts of pinyon-juniper are a big concern for stand replacing wildfire, which tends to sterilize soil and cause hydrophobic soil. Removing sections of trees will help to slow down fire spread and intensity, and help to prevent invasive species like cheatgrass from establishing post-fire. These vegetation treatments will essentially replace the function of fire in the ecosystem and help maintain watershed health. Additionally, the project area contains water pipes and infrastructure that supply the city of Monticello with drinking water. If there were a fire in the area, it could devastate this infrastructure. Vegetation: The proposed treatments will create vegetation density, structures, and ladder fuels closer to historic conditions, thereby restoring the role of fire in the project area and reducing Condition Class from high (3) and moderate (2) to low (1). A creation of mosaic of age classes and structure in the Gambel oak and mountain shrub types will move these stands and the landscape toward properly functioning conditions. Improvement of the quality and productivity of shrub and herbaceous understory vegetation will benefit mule deer and elk in this winter and transition range; it will also benefit pollinator habitat. Wildlife: This project aims to remove encroaching pinyon and juniper, gambel oak, serviceberry and other shrubs in order to improve the quality and productivity of shrub and herbaceous understory vegetation for important mule deer and elk winter and transition range. The resulting mosaic of vegetation age and seral structure will improve habitat diversity and forage production for wildlife and livestock. Fire: As a result of wildfire suppression and climatic changes, pinyon juniper and deciduous shrubs have encroached into historic sage and meadow openings in this landscape. Removal of a portion of the woody vegetation will replace the function of fire in the ecosystem and help to maintain watershed health by mimicking fire occurrence at historic intervals, intensity and severity. This will improve habitat as well as reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. If such fire did occur here, it could result in risk to two nearby communities, firefighter and emergency responder safety, private citizens, Monticello City watershed infrastructure, wildlife, recreation, and homes and other structures. In addition, unplanned fire could result in sterilized soil conditions, erosion, and reduced ground cover. This project aims to reduce the continuity, size, and class of fuels, and thereby reduce fire risk and threat in the area. Hydrology/Soils: This project area contains several drainages with significant amounts of erosion. Because the project area has steep gradient slopes and erosive soils; gullying, rilling, and piping is extensive in many drainages. These erosive processes have a negative impact on adjacent vegetation and water features as the water table is receding. Additionally, as a result of the erosive processes, sedimentation will only increase into watersheds downstream thereby affecting water quality/quantity and habitat. *HARPOLE MESA:* Woodland trees (pinyon pine, Utah juniper and Gambel oak) have steadily increased in size and density on the previously open sagebrush flat on the top of Harpole Mesa. Important big game winter range sagebrush forage in the adjacent valley was eliminated by wildfire in 2008. Conversely, due to fire suppression, sagebrush and other shrubs such as bitterbrush, cliffrose and alder-leaf mountain mahogany are losing out to the increasing trees on Harpole Mesa. The proposed mastication treatment can imitate some of the effects of fire by removing the encroaching trees, while retaining and enhancing the important big sagebrush, understory shrub and herbaceous component of the habitat. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* On National Forest lands on the La Sal Mountains there has been a widespread decline in the aspen community type. Loss of aspen has impacts on wildlife habitat quality, forest and watershed health, and the potential for landscape-scale catastrophic wildfire. In the ponderosa pine forest on the Abajos, many stands are overly dense with heavy fuel loads. Prescribed fire is a tool used successfully by the Manti-La Sal National Forest in both forest types to regenerate aspen, improve the structure and diversity of the forest on a landscape scale and move towards a historic disturbance/fire regime. The current proposal is a bundle of 4 prescribed fire projects on the Moab/Monticello District of the Manti-LaSal National Forest. While prescribed fire is a valuable tool, successful implementation depends on favorable weather and fuel moisture conditions. These factors make it difficult to count on implementation for a specific project area in a given year. Therefore, this proposal includes 4 projects together with the intent that 1 or more will be within prescription in FY22 so that we can continue to restore important habitat and watersheds across the Forest on an annual basis. The proposal includes: The Lackey Basin Aspen Restoration project is a prescribed burn in aspen/mixed conifer forest on the South Mountain area on the south side of the La Sal Mountain range. Approximately half of the area was treated with funding from WRI project #2620. North Elk Ridge Forest Health Project includes several types of treatment (including aspen regeneration fencing in WRI projects #3004 and 3773). The current proposal would address health of the ponderosa pine forest component by prescribed burning in previously thinned areas to reduce fuel loading and improve herbaceous/shrub understory production. The Mormon Pasture Mountain Wildlife Habitat Improvement project also has several phases and previous funding through WRI (projects #3003 and 3774). Mechanical pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine thinning have been accomplished in the area. This proposal covers prescribed burning on 2200 acres of ponderosa pine and mixed conifer habitats. Burning is planned for fall 2021 and spring of 2022. The Shingle Mill Vegetation Management project also has several phases and previous funding through WRI (projects #4860). Mechanical pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine thinning have been accomplished in the area. This proposal covers prescribed burning on 6700 acres of ponderosa pine. Burning is planned for fall 2021 and spring of 2022.

*SHINGLE MILL and HARPOLE MESA:* Create a mosaic of vegetation age/seral structure to improve habitat diversity and forage production for wildlife and livestock. Improve the quality and productivity of shrub and herbaceous understory vegetation on important mule deer and elk winter and transition range, and for wild turkeys and other wildlife. Reduce the risk of stand-replacing crown fire within the wildland-urban interface adjacent to private in-holdings and the Forest boundary, including reducing the risk from wildfire to life and property, reducing the risk of damage to vegetation, soil, and watershed resources from wildfire. Increase resistance and resilience of forest and woodland vegetation and watersheds in this landscape to climate related stressors (drought, wildfire, insects, and disease) by encouraging a mosaic of vegetative conditions (species, age, and density). Improve watershed conditions by improving upland vegetation composition and productivity, increasing ground cover and reducing soil and gully erosion. Improve current watershed conditions by installing grade stabilization structures that decrease flow velocities. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* To accomplish prescribed burning on the Moab/Monticello District. So far several of the units within these projects have been treated either by natural ignitions or prescribed fire. this proposal will carry those areas not burned into FY22. The Lackey Basin aspen restoration Rx (800 acres) remains the priority to treat. If it is not burned in spring 2021, it will be attempted again in FY22. As a stand-replacing fire in aspen/mixed conifer forest to stimulate aspen regeneration, it is more difficult to get into prescription than the ponderosa pine burns. Therefore if Lackey Basin is not available to burn during FY22, the proposal includes treatment in the North Elk Ridge, Mormon Pasture Mountain and Shingle Mill projects as backup projects. There are 7000 acres available for prescribed understory fire treatment on North Elk Ridge, Mormon Pasture Mountain 2,200 acres and 6700 acres on the Shingle Mill project. The project areas are within WRI Conservation Focus Areas due to their importance to watersheds and as wildlife habitats.

*SHINGLE MILL and HARPOLE MESA:* These projects focus on pinyon/juniper removal and oak disturbance as a means to maintain diverse, healthy mountain brush and sagebrush habitats. The herbaceous understory and sagebrush openings are at risk of being lost due to the increasing density of pinyon and juniper trees, overly dense oakbrush and subsequent wildfire. Wildfire may also reach the canopy of the scattered ponderosa pine trees. The summer/transition range has shown declining trends due to a lack of disturbance, fire suppression, drought and over-utilization by wildlife and livestock. As the conditions in these areas decline so does herd health for wildlife and livestock in the area. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* The Deer Creek-La Sal Creek watershed on South Mountain was identified by the Manti-La Sal National Forest as a high priority for vegetation treatment projects during the Region 4 watershed assessment process. These watersheds are classified as Fire Regime III (infrequent surface/mixed regimes) rated to be in Condition Class 2 (moderate departure from the natural range of variability of vegetation characteristics, fuel composition, fire frequency, severity and pattern and other associated disturbances). Without disturbance, we are losing more of the aspen component of the forest every year. Prescribed fire in stands where the conifers are replacing the aspen will remove that competition and encourage sprouting of aspen. Stand-replacing fire, even when done under prescribed conditions, does have risks, but the project area was chosen for its natural barriers and the treatments completed in Lackey Basin phase I and II have reduced the risk of escaped fire. The ponderosa pine stands in the North Elk Ridge, Mormon Pasture Mountain and Shingle Mill project areas are Fire Regime I (frequent surface/mixed regime) in Condition Class 2 and 3 (high departure). There is a risk of losing key ecosystem components (e.g. native species, large legacy trees, negative impacts to soil) to landscape-scale wildfire if the forest is kept in the present condition. The Manti-La Sal National Forest conducts ponderosa pine prescribed burning on an annual basis, and the potential risk or adverse effects from these treatments are very low.

*SHINGLE MILL:* 1. The project is consistent with the Standards and Guidelines of the Manti-La Sal Forest Land and Resource Management Plan of 1986, as amended. *Minimize hazards from wildfire - Reduce fuel loading, stand and crown/canopy density, and resultant fire hazard to vegetation, the public, private property, and firefighters (LRMP III-5). *Maintain/improve habitat capability through direct treatment of vegetation (LRMP III-23). *Provide habitat needs for deer and elk (LRMP III-19), especially improving the cover:forage ratio. *The Utah Fire Amendment has a goal to reduce hazard fuels. The full range of fuel reduction methods is authorized, consistent with forest and management area emphasis and direction. *Certain vegetative types are to be managed such that varying successional stages will be present to provide for a high level of vegetative diversity and productivity (III-2). Pinyon-juniper stands on gentle slopes and on lands with good soils will be treated periodically to maintain early successional stages (III-8). Intensive management practices would maintain structural diversity within the woody species in at least 25 percent of the area covered by the Gambel oak and mountain shrub type. In some cases, the Gambel oak would be encouraged to successionally develop as an open savannah or in a high seral stage (III-9). 2. National Fire Plan *Designed to manage the potential impacts of wildland fire to communities and ecosystems and to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildland fire *The NFP focuses on strategies for improving fire preparedness, restoring and rehabilitating burned areas, reducing hazardous fuels, assisting communities, and identifying research needs 3. San Juan County CWPP The CWPP highlights the Shingle Mill project area as a high priority for fuel reduction need. 4. San Juan County Resource Management Plan Objectives and policies from the county plan include: *Forests, woodlands, rangelands, watersheds, and habitats are healthy and resilient and are managed for multiple use. *Support the use of various vegetation manipulation tools (such as mechanical, chemical, biological, prescribed and controlled wildland fire and livestock grazing) to enhance production of wildlife and livestock habitat and forage and improve watershed and water quality conditions on woodland areas with potential for improved ecological condition. *Actively manage forests and woodlands to reduce the potential for catastrophic wildfire. *Impacts of wildfire on the health, safety and property of county residents as well as valuable natural and cultural resources are prevented or minimized. *Use fuel reduction techniques such as conifer reduction, grazing, prescribed fire, chemical, biological, and mechanical treatments appropriate for site characteristics. *Support land management practices that contribute to or maintain healthy watershed conditions. *Support the implementation of rangeland improvement projects including brush control, seeding projects, pinion and juniper removal, noxious and invasive weed control, and livestock water developments. 5. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Mule Deer 2014-2019 *Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range. *Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that are being taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats. *Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages. Convert habitats back to young, vigorous shrub-dominated communities *Work with land management agencies and private landowners to identify and properly manage crucial mule deer habitats, especially fawning and wintering areas. 6. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Elk 2015-2022 *Maintain sufficient habitat to support elk herds at population objectives and reduce competition for forage between elk and livestock. *Reduce adverse impacts to elk herds and elk habitat. *Increase forage production by annually treating a minimum of 40,000 acres of elk habitat. *Coordinate with land management agencies, conservation organizations, private landowners, and local leaders through the regional Watershed Restoration Initiative working groups to identify and prioritize elk habitats that are in need of enhancement or restoration. 7. Deer Herd Unit Management Plan Deer Herd Unit #13 La Sal and #14 San Juan October 2015 *Protect, maintain, and/or improve deer habitat through direct range improvements to support and maintain herd population management objectives. *Work with federal, private, and state partners to improve crucial deer habitats through the WRI process. 8. Elk Herd Unit Management Plan Elk Herd Unit #13 La Sal and #14 San Juan August 2016 * Maintain and improve winter foraging areas through browse regeneration and pinyon-juniper removal projects. 9. Utah Wildlife Action Plan Gambel Oak and mountain sagebrush are Key Habitats in the 2015-2025 Plan Recommendations to improve condition include: *Promoting policies and management that allow fire to return to a more natural regime. *Promoting and funding restoration that reduces the uncharacteristic class, including cutting mulching of invading pinyon and juniper trees, and herbicide or mechanical treatment. *single tree mulching/cutting invading conifer in the mountain sagebrush type. 10. Montezuma Creek and Lower San Juan-Four Corners Watershed Coordinated Resource Management Plan The Shingle Mill project is part of the watershed implementation strategy in the watershed plan. The project addresses several specific resource concerns regarding soil and vegetation, and follows recommendations to thin/masticate pinyon-juniper and reduce gambel oak. 11. Utah's Wild Turkey Management Plan *The plan objective is to maintain and improve wild turkey populations. One of the strategies identified to reach this objective is to do habitat projects. This project will help to achieve this objective. *The plan also identifies as an objective increasing habitat quantity and quality for turkeys by 40,000 acres statewide by 2020. This project will help to achieve this by increasing herbaceous foraging habitat for turkeys. *HARPOLE MESA:* The project meets objectives of the above plans, as well as the 1) Grand County Resource Management Plan which supports federal agencies in vegetative management treatments in forested cover types that provide for a full range of seral stages which achieve a mosaic of habitat conditions and diversity and supports the removal of conifers as deemed appropriate. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* 1) Manti-La Sal National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (1986) The 4 projects have been reviewed for compliance with the Forest Plan, and meet specific direction in the Plan to manage aspen and ponderosa pine, and improve wildlife habitat. * Manage aspen with commercial or noncommercial treatments to maintain or increase the percent of the Forest in the aspen type (III-2) * Provide an optimum cover:forage ratio for deer and elk habitat (III-19) * Maintain/improve habitat and habitat diversity for populations of existing wildlife species (III-22) * Manage aspen at the ecological stage that provides high herbaceous yield and cover (III-65) * Provide for timber stand improvement, reforestation and wildlife habitat improvement (III-25) 2) Conservation Strategy and Agreement for the Management of Northern Goshawk Habitat in Utah (1998) The project areas provide nesting habitat for northern goshawks. Surveys have been conducted following Forest Plan protocols. There are no active territories within the areas proposed for treatment in this phase of the project. * Under a proactive approach, manage for diverse forest cover types with strong representation of early seral tree species 3) La Sal and San Juan Deer Herd Unit Management Plans (2015) The projects meet habitat management objectives in the DWR deer herd management plans. * Continue to improve, protect, and restore summer and winter range habitats critical to deer, such as aspen Habitat projects that promote aspen and forb communities as well as a diverse age structure of the forest are recommended * Cooperate with land management agencies in carrying out habitat improvements such as ...controlled burns * Specifically in the San Juan Plan, proposed and recommended habitat project locations for summer range are: North Elk Ridge, Maverick Point and Mormon Pasture Mountain. 4) Statewide Management Plan for Mule Deer (2014) The statewide mule deer plan specifies management objectives for important ranges including restoration of aspen communities to early seral stages. These projects are all in crucial deer summer (fawning) range. * Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on ...ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into aspen habitats. * Seek opportunities through WRI to improve aspen communities that provide crucial summer habitat * Manage portions of aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages 5) La Sal and San Juan, Elk Ridge Elk Herd Unit Management Plans (2016) The projects meet objectives for management of elk summer ranges, and have been developed cooperatively with DWR. * Summer Range - Maintain and improve summer forage availability on the La Sal Mountains through aspen regeneration and oakbrush thinning projects 6) Utah Elk Statewide Management Plan (2015) The projects meet several objectives in the statewide Elk Management Plan, which emphasizes the importance of aspen habitats to elk. * Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve elk habitat with emphasis on calving habitat and winter ranges * Seek opportunities to improve aspen communities on summer ranges which provides crucial calving habitat * Encourage land managers to manage portions of forests in early succession stages through the use of controlled burning and logging. Controlled burning should only be used in areas where there are minimal invasive weed and/or safety concerns. 7) Utah Black Bear Management Plan (2011) * Seek to prevent the loss of occupied and suitable unoccupied bear habitat and to improve existing bear habitat through 2023 * Target areas for habitat improvement projects that would benefit bears and other wildlife associated with aspen and hard and soft mast-producing communities 8) Utah Partners in Flight Avian Conservation Strategy (2002) * For Lewis's woodpecker, encourage prescribed burns to open the understory of ponderosa pine and mixed conifer habitats * For three-toed woodpecker, aspen should be maintained throughout the landscape to provide nesting sites 9) Wildlife Action Plan (2015) Prescribed fire in the proposed treatment areas would reduce threats from unplanned wildfire, and continue the process of restoring historic fire regimes in these areas. * Lewis's woodpecker - Reduce threat from inappropriate fire frequency and severity * Apply more fire in habitats/locations where fire was historically more frequent or intense * Reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings * Band-tailed pigeon have been documented in the project areas (Utah Natural Heritage database), and would benefit from treatments that increase shrub diversity and productivity (acorns, berries) over the longterm (Keppie and Braun 2000) WAP (pp26-28): - Condition - While the Aspen-Conifer physical (abiotic) habitat remains largely intact in Utah, coverage of aspen itself within that setting has declined greatly for two main reasons: (1) departure from natural fire regime (reduction in disturbance), resulting in widespread forest succession to conifer dominance; and (2) heavy ungulate browsing on young aspen stems, following disturbance. - Improving Condition - A good strategy for management may include the following elements: * Increasing disturbance from either prescribed or natural fire. Recent studies have shown that larger scale burns (e.g., 5,000 acres) that burn more intensely have been the most successful in terms of aspen regeneration. Higher-intensity burns stimulate higher numbers of young aspen per unit area, than lower-intensity burns. A larger treatment area distributes ungulate browse pressure, allowing most young aspen stems to reach a safe height. * Applying mechanical disturbance agents such as timber harvest. This can also be used to stimulate aspen regeneration and avoid or reduce resource losses to conifer beetles. As with fire, larger mechanical treatment areas serve to distribute browsing pressure and reduce damage to individual stems, increasing regeneration success. * Monitoring smaller, naturally-occurring or human-created disturbances for ungulate damage, and taking follow-up actions such as fencing, hazing, hunting, and/or domestic grazing management, may be required to prevent or reduce damage caused by domestic, wild, or feral ungulates. * Promoting policies that reduce improper browsing and grazing by domestic livestock and wildlife. 10) USFS R4 Focus Watershed Assessment (2010) The projects meet the following objectives from the Forests watershed assessment: * Use prescribed burning of aspen as a restoration opportunity in the Deer Creek-La Sal watershed * Treat vegetation to reduce fire hazard in the Stevens Canyon-North Cottonwood priority watershed

*SHINGLE MILL:* The project area is located on the east side of the Abajo Mountains above the town of Monticello. It is located within the Monticello city municipal watershed and WUI (wildland-urban interface) area. Private property borders the 10,676 acre USFS project area. In 2018 the Southeast Catastrophic fire committee classified the Shingle Mill area as one of the top priority areas to focus efforts in addressing high fire risk and intensity. Partners on this committee included members of Federal and Utah State land agencies, Emergency Management coordinators for several counties, County Commissioners, and members of the public. According to UWRAP (Utah Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal), the Phase 2 treatment area ranges from moderate to high wildfire risk and threat severity. The area is primarily Fire Regime III (3) and Condition Class 2, with a moderate departure from historical conditions. The historical conditions were mostly sagebrush, grasses and other shrubs. Climatic change, fire suppression and other factors have led to pinyon, juniper and Gambel oak encroachment in these areas. Fuels in the current state pose a hazard to fire personnel, private citizens, agricultural land and animals, structures, and infrastructure. Within the project area, there are pipeline and collection structures for Monticello's culinary water system. A fire in the area would pose a significant threat to these structures and therefore water sources for the city. The removal of live and dead fuels will reduce the severity and intensity of wildfire on the landscape. It will reduce the fire regime condition class (FRCC) on approximately 2260 acres (total project area, not just Phase Two). Vegetation treatment will create vegetation density, structures, and ladder fuels closer to historic conditions; thereby restoring the role of fire in the project area and reducing Condition Class from high (3) and moderate (2) to low (1) in this Fire Regime area that is adjacent to the private inholdings and the Forest boundary. This will make it safer for firefighters to manage an unplanned ignition within this area. Treatment will also reduce risk to two communities at risk (Monticello, approx. 2 aerial miles away from nearest treatment area, and Blue Mountain Ranch approx. 0.5 aerial miles from nearest treatment area), permanent infrastructure (including power lines and water collection), Monticello city watershed, dispersed and developed recreation sites, and critical wildlife habitat. Treatment will reduce risk to homes in the Verdure Creek valley with the nearest home being 100 feet away from a proposed mastication area. It will create a mosaic of age classes and structure in the Gambel oak and mountain shrub types, moving these stands and the landscape toward historic and properly functioning conditions. *HARPOLE MESA:* The Harpole Mesa project area is in stark contrast to the Porcupine Ranch wildfire (2008) that burned pinyon-juniper and oak in the adjacent Pinhook Valley. The fire was stopped on top of the mesa with retardant, and the hard line is still visible along the western edge. Post-fire, there were issues with severe erosion and flooding downstream in Castle Valley. Cheatgrass and knapweed increased. The proposed project would reduce the risk of that kind of damage to soil and vegetation resources from severe wildfire. Black-rosy finch winter in the area, and treatment to restore the herbaceous (seed-producing) component of the habitat will be beneficial to this ground-foraging species. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* The treatments in this proposal would reduce fuel loads and the continuity of vegetative crown and ladder fuels, serving to modify fire behavior, reduce fire intensity and therefore reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and damage to natural and cultural resources. In addition, these treatments would build resistance to climate related stressors (drought, wildfire, insects and disease) and increase the adaptive capacity of the ecosystem. The treatments will encourage a mosaic of vegetative conditions (species, age, density), help restore fire occurrence to historic intervals and intensity, and promote improved health of forest stands. The Shingle Mill treatment would directly impact the Monticello WUI area. The other treatments would not directly impact WUI areas or communities at risk, but the Lackey Basin/South Mountain area and La Sal Creek are an important watershed for the community of La Sal. Reducing the risk of unplanned wildfire in this area is beneficial to residents, firefighters, irrigators and recreationalists. The project areas on North Elk Ridge are more remote, although the Forest Service Guard Station at Gooseberry is in the middle of the project area, and there is a private in-holding with structures adjacent to the Mormon Pasture Mountain project area. All of the areas are important wildlife habitat for big game, bears, wild turkey, raptors and migratory birds. Treatments to restore fire regimes in forested habitats will benefit species such as Lewis woodpecker, Allen's big-eared bat, flammulated owl, olive-sided flycatcher and mountain cottontail.

*SHINGLE MILL:* 1. The project is designed to increase percent effective ground cover directly from the mastication process, thereby reducing soil loss via overland flow and/or rilling. 2. By removing fuels, we also reduce the risk of a severe, large scale wildfire which would result in hydrophobicity in the soils, decreased infiltration, and increased runoff. 3. Because there will be a lack of competition for water and sunlight, herbaceous vegetation will establish where juniper was once dominant. Herbaceous vegetation along with mulch from the mastication will slow overland flow velocities and be better suited to retain moisture. 4. By installing sediment retention and grade stabilization structures in areas of gullying, we will slow flow velocities and capture sediment that will subsequently fill in incisions and headcuts over time. By filling the gully incisions, we will increase the elevational profile or baseflow capacity of the water table, thereby increasing water quantity. Once incisions trend upwards towards becoming stable, herbaceous vegetation will establish in the filled voids; this will indirectly decrease sediment loads during high-flow events and result in increased water quality. *HARPOLE MESA:* According to the Castle Valley CWPP, Castle and Placer Creeks have been identified as major recharge sources for the unconsolidated aquifer that provides domestic water, via private wells, to the residents of Castle Valley. The water supply has been officially designated as a Sole Source Aquifer by the US EPA. In 2008, the Porcupine Ranch Fire severely burned 17% of the Placer Creek Watershed. A debris flow occurred the following year, which had significant surface impacts on the community. Currently, the Castle Creek Watershed is also at risk because it shares similar vegetation conditions and types, topography and weather patterns that promoted the Porcupine Ranch Fire into a fast moving, high-intensity fire. According. the fire district has included the Placer Creek and Castle Creek Watersheds within its CWPP boundary. By reducing the risk of severe, large scale wildfire in the project area, the actions will protect watershed values from damage to soils that result in reduced infiltration and increased runoff in the short term and loss of top soil and subsequent reduction in soil productivity in the long term. The project is designed to increase percent effective ground cover, reduce soil loss due to erosion and reduce the potential amount of area in detrimental soil condition (as from severe fire, compaction or displacement). Monitoring of similar treatments on other areas of the neighboring Manti-La Sal National Forest with similar equipment found no detrimental soil compaction from several passes of the machine on the soil surface. The chips from the mulching added additional ground cover. Soil bulk density following use of the bullhog machine was similar to non-treated or control areas. The total effective ground cover in the treated areas was higher than in non-treated areas. Areas dominated by pinyon-juniper produce limited understory vegetation and the bare soil inter-spaces are prone to soil loss by erosion. Herbaceous vegetation is important in impeding overland flow and is effective at reducing soil erosion. Both the potential increase in herbaceous vegetation and the masticated tree material should help stabilize the soils by reducing erosion and protect the water quality throughout the watershed. Pinyon-juniper trees alter the amount and distribution of water that reaches the soil, intercepting 10-20% of precipitation according to Horman et al. 1999. By removing pinyon-juniper, this should allow for more precipitation to contact the soil and increase biomass on the ground. Increased runoff and sediment load decrease water yield and water quality within the watershed. A recent publication by Roundy et al. 2014 showed that phase 3 juniper removal can increase available moisture for more than 3 weeks in the spring, and removing juniper from phase 1 and 2 stands can increase water from 6-20 days respectively. Because juniper are prolific water users, they readily out-compete understory species which eventually die off. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* Three of the project areas are in priority watersheds identified for treatment in the Forest Watershed Assessment. The overall purpose of the Lackey Basin project in the La Sal Creek watershed is to move aspen forests to a more healthy condition -- meaning all characteristics of the aspen ecosystem, while dynamic, mimic historic conditions and are resilient or able to sustain natural disturbances. Aspen forests are also considered a benefit to watershed conditions compared to conifer forest, with studies in Utah documenting higher snow water equivalents and greater potential water yield (Burke and Kasahara 2011, LaMalfa and Ryle 2008). These treatments also have the objective of reintroducing fire to the ponderosa pine forest in the area, moving towards more natural conditions and reducing the risk of unplanned, severe wildfire in the aspen, aspen/mixed conifer, and ponderosa pine stands in the project areas. While high severity wildfire has adverse effects to soil such as water repellency and increased erosion, low severity fires themselves have little effect on hydrologic functions but may result in increases in streamflow from the watershed (Neary et al 2005). Treatments in the Stevens Canyon/North Cottonwood watershed would reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, and thereby reduce the risk of adverse effects to soils, including hydrophobicity (a problem to water infiltration especially on sandy soils as in the North Elk Ridge and Mormon Pasture Mountain project areas) and erosion. An improved herbaceous understory post-treatment reduces the potential for run-off and soil loss. The Shingle Mill project area is part of the area identified in the City of Monticello's Community Wildfire Protection Plan and the Southeastern Utah Regional Wildfire Protection Plan as the city's municipal watershed. As well as contributing water, it includes pipeline and collection structures. A major fire event in this area could damage municipal watershed values and critical collection systems, therefore the project has been designed and approved under HFRA to reduce the risk to municipal water supplies while securing favorable conditions of water flow, maintaining water quality and soil productivity, and reducing soil erosion and sedimentation. These treatments also have the objective of reintroducing fire to the ponderosa pine forest in the area, moving towards more natural conditions and reducing the risk of unplanned, severe wildfire in the aspen, aspen/mixed conifer, and ponderosa pine stands in the project areas. While high severity wildfire has adverse effects to soil such as water repellency and increased erosion, low severity fires themselves have little effect on hydrologic functions but may result in increases in streamflow from the watershed (Neary et al 2005).

*SHINGLE MILL:* Archaeological surveys have been conducted. The level of analysis for this project is a CE under authority of 36 CFR 220.6 (e)(6) - Timber stand and/or wildlife habitat improvement activities which do not include the use of herbicides or do not require more than one mile of low standard road construction. The Decision Memo for this project was signed June 13, 2019. *HARPOLE MESA* Mesa Sagebrush Habitat Project - Decision Memo to be signed in Jan 2021. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* All five projects comply with direction in the Manti-La Sal Forest Plan, and are authorized through the NEPA process. The Lackey Basin Aspen Restoration Project Decision Memo was completed Nov 19, 2012. The North Elk Ridge Forest Health Project EA and Decision Notice/FONSI was completed Nov 18, 2014. The Mormon Pasture Mountain Wildlife Habitat Improvement Project Decision Memo was signed February 23, 2016.

*SHINGLE MILL:* Treatments for this phase of the Shingle Mill project will utilize a combination of mechanized bull hog (fecon head) mastication of pinyon/juniper and Gambel oak and hand-thinning with chainsaws to remove encroaching pinyon pine and juniper trees from sage and mountain brush areas. Group selection regeneration treatments will be applied to Gambel oak, serviceberry, and birch leaf mountain-mahogany to regenerate a portion of the mid-aged and mature vegetation to diversify stand structure and provide more palatable plants for wildlife forage. There will be a mosaic of larger oak left to provide forage (acorns) for wildlife, including black bears and turkeys. The treatment of the basal re-sprouting shrubs (oak and other mountain browse) will create diverse age classes, better vigor and increased leader growth for forage for big game. Some areas, particularly the lower elevation portions, may be seeded to enhance understory diversity and production. Thinning and woodland regeneration treatments will emphasize retention of ponderosa pine, pinyon pine, larger mature trees, and clumps/groups of woodland trees. Designation of openings and clumps/corridors will be coordinated with the District Wildlife Biologist. The results of this type of treatment are well-understood and have been successful in similar areas on the Abajo and La Sal Mountains. Erosion control methods will be implemented in the form of 'Rock and Grade Brush Stabilization Structures' via contractual service. There are five main watershed treatment areas within the project area that are either 2nd or 3rd order lotic systems. Within these five treatment areas, it is estimated that we would need five structures in each treatment area. Forest Service personnel would install one-rock check dams, install straw waddles, contour-fell trees or any other method that will reduce headwater erosion in 1st order systems. Portions of the watershed treatment area and areas disturbed by mechanical treatment (~200 acres) will be seeded with native grass and forb species during the mastication treatment and the gully rehab work. The elevation, ground cover and good soils in the remainder of the area are conducive to self-reseeding of grasses and forbs. *HARPOLE MESA:* Treatment for the Harpole Mesa project will utilize mechanized bull hog mastication of pinyon/juniper to remove encroaching pinyon pine and juniper trees from sage and mountain shrub areas, thin pinyon-juniper infill and create openings in dense Gambel oak stands to regenerate a portion of the mid-aged and mature vegetation to diversify stand structure and provide more palatable plants for wildlife forage. Thinning will retain mature pinyon pine, clumps/groups of woodland trees and larger, acorn-producing Gambel oak. A seed mix of native grass/forb species will be incorporated during the mechanical operations to enhance the depleted herbaceous understory. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* First priority for the funding would be to complete the aspen/mixed conifer prescribed burning in the Lackey Basin project. This treatment is a prescribed fire vegetation regeneration and fuel reduction treatment. The treatment consists of prescribed burning (aerial ignition) within the 1,500 acres remaining to be treated, resulting in 20-50% of the area effectively burned. A mixed severity (moderate to high intensity) prescribed fire will be used to kill aspen ramets and encroaching conifer competition to stimulate root suckering and regenerate aspen in a mosaic within the project area. Only areas of aspen with overtopping or dense understory conifer trees that provide adequate fuel for spread of fire and potential to stimulate aspen suckering will be ignited. These ignition areas should generally occur on slope areas that are 30 percent or greater. This combined with the extent of treatment in the project area should discourage and disperse ungulate browsing allowing adequate numbers of suckers to survive and restock effectively burned areas. Treatment will generally avoid direct ignition of clones that are free of conifer encroachment, are on slopes < 30%, or are in riparian/wetland buffer areas. Fire may spread into these areas naturally, but this spread will not be directly encouraged. Burning of gentle slope (< 30%) could encourage browsing by livestock and wild ungulates. A late spring/summer burn is the expected timing for implementation in aspen regeneration prescribed burn areas. If conditions are not suitable during FY22, the funding would be used to conduct prescribed burning in the Mormon Pasture Mountain, North Elk Ridge and Shingle Mill project areas. The areas ready for prescribed burning have already been thinned, and there are 7,000 acres available for burning on North Elk Ridge, 2,200 acres at Mormon Pasture Mountain and 6,700 acres on the Shingle Mill project. This burning would be conducted by Forest Service crews on the ground with drip torches or by aerial ignition. These treatments are generally conducted in the spring, but can also occur in the fall if proper conditions exist.

*SHINGLE MILL and HARPOLE MESA:* *Day-to-day monitoring of contract or force account operations will be completed during implementation by a designated Contractor Officer's Representative (C.O.R.) or by a qualified Forestry Technician. *FS Range personnel will monitor for weeds post-treatment. Existing or new weed populations will be treated in accordance with existing noxious weed management decisions. *An interdisciplinary review will be conducted following implementation (within two years) to determine if project objectives have been met and to determine whether implementation of project design features has been effective. *Monitoring of raptor nests in the project area will be continued annually by the USFS. *Photo points will be established (by USFS personnel) to identify pre and post-treatment conditions, as well as long-term monitoring points for future reference. Post-treatment photos will be taken post years 1,3,5. *The interdisciplinary review and post-treatment photos will be uploaded to the WRI database upon completion (in a 2- and 3-year time frame, respectively) years. *Cross-section measurements with photos will be taken of treated gullies (Shingle Mill) and monitored every 1,2,3,4,5,10 years, and will continue every 5 years as needed. Long-term soil and vegetation monitoring plots will be installed in uplands immediately adjacent to treated gullies to track changes in moisture regimes, species composition, and species seral stages. Vegetation monitoring pre and post treatment will also be conducted by USFS personnel for representative sites using line-point intercept protocols. Eleven transects were established pre-treatment in the Shingle Mill project area in 2019 (report attached in Documents section), and 5 transects were established on Harpole Mesa in 2020. *DWR seasonal will monitor bat use of bat bark that was installed (2020) within the North End treatment areas. This was installed for bat habitat as part of wri 4614. We would like to assess bat use of artificial habitat. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* As part of project development, we established aspen regeneration transects in the Lackey Basin project area and collected pre-treatment data. We also have 5 years of migratory bird breeding season point-count surveys (2010-2014). The area has been extensively surveyed for northern goshawks, and surveys will continue in relation to this and other projects in the area. The Decision Memo authorizing the project has a detailed Monitoring Plan, which includes implementation monitoring and effectiveness monitoring with silvicultural stocking surveys, aspen regeneration transects (trees/acre and level of browsing) and photo points. Other monitoring includes soil assessments at 1-2 years post-treatment and annual weed monitoring on roads and trails in the project area. The bird point-count transect will also be re-read post-treatment. On North Elk Ridge, Mormon Pasture Mountain, and Shingle Mill there would be implementation and effectiveness monitoring associated with prescribed burning/fuels treatment. This type of monitoring involves photo points pre- and post-treatment. An inspection and implementation report has been produced for the Mormon Pasture Mountain project phase I and entered into the WRI database. There are Abert's squirrel density plots in the North Elk Ridge project area which are read annually by Forest Service personnel. Pre and post photo's of areas that represent the treatment and areas that are successfully burned or treated will posted to the WRI project site.

*SHINGLE MILL:* The Shingle Mill Vegetation Management Project is in an area important to San Juan County and the City of Monticello for watershed, wildlife habitat and recreation. Partners for the current phase of the project include the USFS, NRCS (representing the adjacent private landowner), FFSL, DWR and the livestock permittee. There is high interest in this project from local sportsmen groups, who funded the original archaeology surveys in the early days of UPCD/WRI. All partners shared in the planning and writing of this project and grant submission. Rangeland, fire and wildlife factors on private property were represented by NRCS, FFSL, and DWR respectively, while USFS represented fire and vegetation and planning on the federal side. *HARPOLE MESA:* The Harpole Mesa project is the phase 2, USFS portion of the Castle Valley Wildfire Mitigation Project with the BLM. DWR is also a partner in this big game habitat improvement project. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* There is significant interest in these projects from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Forestry Fire and State Lands (FFSL), local sportsman groups have previously contributed to this project. DWR has been a key partner in the North Elk Ridge project, utilizing targeted late season cow elk hunts in the area. The Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI) has already contributed to previous phases of these projects. The affected livestock permittees have also been engaged in the successful implementation of previous phases of these projects. Utah Forestry Fire and State Lands are working with us to conduct Prescribed Fire across agency boundary's on the Shingle Mill Project. Within many of the other Prescribed Fire projects opportunities don't exist to allow treatments to cross agency or land ownership's.

*SHINGLE MILL:* The area being treated is federal lands that are managed for multiple use. The area will continue to be managed for uses such as grazing, recreation including hunting, wildlife and overall ecosystem health. Mechanical treatments as well as prescribed fire will continue to be a way to maintain diverse age classes and vegetation communities in the area. The oak, mountain brush and sagebrush areas have an herbaceous understory component, so the need for seeding is not anticipated in this phase. No changes to livestock management are anticipated at this time, but utilization and trend monitoring will continue and adaptive management can be applied if required. The Abajo deer herd has been 70-80% of population objective. Elk on the San Juan unit are at objective. Turkey populations are increasing on the Abajos. DWR will continue to strive to achieve and maintain objectives for big game and turkeys according to management plans on the Abajo Mountains. Future management in the watershed treatment areas will be a result of treatment effectiveness. Treatment areas will be evaluated to determine if additional work is needed to successfully improve the watershed. *HARPOLE MESA:* The area being treated is federal lands that will continue to be managed for multiple uses. While fire is an important part of this ecosystem, due to WUI, multiple landowners and the proximity to ownership boundaries, the use of fire is limited in the project area and mechanical treatments will continue to be a way to maintain diverse age classes and vegetation communities in the area. The pinyon-juniper and sagebrush areas have a somewhat depleted herbaceous understory component, so seeding will be utilized as part of the project. The area generally receives light use by livestock (cattle), and no changes to livestock management are anticipated at this time. Forage utilization and trend monitoring will continue and adaptive management can be applied if required. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* At Lackey Basin, the treatment units are infrequently grazed by permitted cattle due to slope steepness and distance to water. It is not anticipated that changes to livestock grazing management will be needed, but monitoring will inform post-treatment management. Options available for grazing management include changes in length, timing or season of use, number of livestock, placement of salt and nutritional supplements, temporary electric fence or rest as outlined in the Lackey Basin Aspen Restoration Project Decision Memo and Monitoring Plan. The area is within the South Mountain Inventoried Roadless Area, so no road construction or motorized use will occur. The area will continue to be managed under the Forest Plan for its wildlife, recreation and watershed values, using adaptive management related to livestock and big game. At North Elk Ridge, the project area is in non-use status relative to livestock grazing, which will be continued for several more years. The aspen restoration treatments (fencing, cutting, prescribed fire) which have begun will continue, as will additional ponderosa pine thinning and underburning in the 17,740 acre project area. The North Elk Ridge Forest Health Project Decision Notice authorizes one maintenance underburn following initial treatments at a 5-10 year interval to maintain fuels at low levels and restore historic fire regimes. No changes in current management are expected at the Mormon Pasture Mountain project. The area is grazed by livestock on a deferred rotation basis. Shingle Mill area will have future maintenance prescribed burns along with being grazed by livestock. Project will improve forage conditions for livestock. Seeding is not necessary in the forested ecosystems in the Rx portions of the project as adequate understories and few invasive weeds are present in these vegetation types and elevations.

*SHINGLE MILL and HARPOLE MESA:* The Shingle Mill Phase 2 project area is in the North Creek and Lakes/South Peak cattle allotment of the USFS. The proposed treatment would decrease the amount of woody vegetation (especially pinyon-juniper, oak) on 332 acres of the North Creek allotment and 1204 acres of The Lakes/South Peak allotment. This will lead to an increased production of herbaceous vegetation (grass and forb species) on up to 1536 acres. The Harpole Mesa project area is part of one cattle allotment. The proposed treatment would decrease the amount of woody vegetation (especially pinyon-juniper and oak) within much of the grazed areas in these allotments. This would likely lead to an increased production of herbaceous vegetation (grass and forb species) on up to 200 acres. This will allow the areas to be more resilient to grazing and drought. With the treatments and amount of herbaceous vegetation that will be released as well as the resprouting of desirable woody species it is anticipated that along with water improvements taking place as well as the release of more water through the removal of PJ and other shrubs that increased distribution will occur. Noxious weeds are not expected to increase or spread as a result of the treatments as best management practices will be implemented. Site visits found little cheatgrass in the areas to be treated and the risk of cheatgrass being established as a result of the project is very low, due to the existing diversity and healthy grass production of most of the understory layers and because of the elevation. Any other noxious weeds in the area would continue to be treated. In the short-term there could be some interruption of grazing operations; however the long-term benefits to the range resource outweigh the short-term negative impacts that may have to occur to individual permit holders such as resting pastures or exclusion of livestock from areas. Mule deer hunting is popular on the USFS side of the fence as well, as is hunting for turkey and other small game. Being close to town, the area is also very popular for off-road/atv recreation and camping. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* The prescribed fire treatments will improve herbaceous forage production in the understory of the aspen/mixed conifer and ponderosa pine forests. Although most areas are currently lightly used by livestock, they are within open allotments and have the potential to support additional use or be used as a grass bank. At Lackey Basin, use by livestock will be discouraged until aspen sprouts are tall enough to withstand grazing (6 ft tall and 2" DBH). Much of the Ponderosa Pine forests proposed (North Elk Ridge, Mormon Pasture Mountain, and Shingle Mill treatments) would aid in future timber harvests and sustainability.

08/04/2021

06/20/2022

2022

Due to limited funds, the scope of this phase of the project was reduced to mechanical work with some limited seeding. That being said, we were able to treat approximately 711 acres of Pinon/Juniper mastication across the two separate areas; Shingle Mill (560 acres) with no seed being used and Harpole Mesa (196 acres) with limited seeding that occurred by hand prior to treatment starting. This work was completed by contracting with DWR as well as utilizing the US Forest Service Force Account Crew. Prescribed fire was conducted in close proximately to this project with funds from an earlier phase of this project, WRI #5218.

Both projects were sent out to bid under one contract with the selected contractor starting on the Harpole Mesa work targeting mostly pinion and juniper in the Fall of 2021. Islands within this treatment were seeded by hand prior to work occurring. These acres were completed with winter weather looming forcing treatments to be complete until spring. Once conditions allowed the contractor was able to start work on the Shingle Mill portion of the project. This was pinion juniper work with an mountain brush (Gambel's oak) component. This area was not seeded. This work continued until the end of the fiscal year.

This area will be monitored to ensure vegetation response is what was anticipated. Future phases of this project include phase 3 of Shingle Mill. This will consist of mastication using Shared Stewardship funds in USFS FY22 fiscal year. A good neighbor agreement is being processed before soliciting for a contract through the DWR for the final 372 acres.